Towel holders



Dec. 1, 1959 F. 0. HAINES TOWEL HOLDERS Filed July 15, 1958 ATTORNEY United States Patent TOWEL HOLDERS Frank D. Haines, Ambler, Pa.

Application July 15, 1958, Serial No. 748,738

7 Claims. (Cl. 211-16) This invention relates to towel holders.

It is the principle object of the present invention to provide a towel holder for endless towels by which the towel is supported as desired, horizontally for storage or in a pendant position for use.

It is a further object of the present invention to pro vide a towel holder as aforesaid which is particularly suitable for use with wall-mounted kitchen cabinets, or on the lower side of shelves and the like.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a'towell holder having simple but effective structure for holding an endless towel in stored condition but which may be readily operated to position the towel in pendant condition for use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a towel holder for endless towels having a movable towel position control bar which is readily movable as desired and retained in positions for towel storage and for towel use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a towel holder as aforesaid in which the parts are of simple construction.

It is a further object of the preesnt invention to provide a towel holder as aforesaid which may be quickly and easily attached to the underside of a wall-mounted kitchen cabinet or shell by relatively inexperienced persons.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a towel holder as aforesaid in which the components may be simply and inexpensively constructed and assembled.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

Figure l is an underneath plan view of a towel holder in accordance with the invention and with the towel in the position for storage, parts of the towel being broken away to show the details of construction of the holder;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the towel holder shown in Fig. l, the towel holding or supporting bars being shown in full lines in the supporting position and in broken lines in the released position for insertion or removal of the towel;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view as seen from the left showing the towel in the stored position;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view as seen from the left showing an intermediate position of the towel control bar between the position for storage and the position for use;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the holding mechanism for the towel positioning control bar; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary underneath view in perspective showing the mechanism for releasably holding the ends of the towel supporting bars.

2,915,191 Patented Dec. 1, 1954) It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a towel 10 is shown, of flexible textile material with its ends joined to form an endless band, the length of the towel band 10 being determined by the size of the support.

Spaced towel-supporting bars 11 and 12 are provided, normally horizontally disposed and preferably with the forwardmost bar 11 at a lower level than the other bar 12. The bars 11 and 12, at one of their pairs of ends have upwardly extending sections 13 and 14 with an integral horizontal connector 15 extending therebetween and pivotally secured by a holding plate 16 to the lower face of a horizontal shelf 17 which may be attached to the bottom wall of a wall-supported kitchen cabinet or may be any other horizontal shelf. Screws 18 can be employed for retaining the holding plate 16 in position.

The other ends of the towel supporting bars 11 and 12 have upright sections 19 and 20 with terminal end portions 21 and 22 extending therefrom substantially parallel to the bars 11 and 12, respectively. The terminal ends 21 and 22 of the bars 11 and 12 are releasably held in supported position in any desired manner and for this purpose a socket plate 25 can be provided held on the lower face of the shelf 17 by screws 26.

The socket plate 25 is shown as having grooved sections 27 for the respective reception of the terminal ends 21 and 22. A holding and release lever 28 is provided, extending through slots 29 and swingable substantially horizontally into positions into and out of supporting engagement with the terminal ends 21 and 22. The lever 28 can be secured to the underside of the shelf 17 in any desired manner, such as by a screw 30.

A towel position control bar 31 is provided preferably of substantially U-shape with parallel side portions 32, parallel offset side portions 33, and a central portion 34. The free terminal ends of the side portions 32 are pivotally supported in bifurcated brackets 35.

The brackets 35 are secured to the underside of the shelf 17 in any desired manner, such as by screws 36 and have a horizontally extending pivot pin 37 for supporting the free terminal ends of the side portions 32 of the bar 31.

A bifurcated spring clip 38 is secured to the under side of the shelf 17 in any desired manner, such as by a screw 39, and has resilient side arms 40 with socket portions 41 formed therein for the reception of one of the side portions 32 of the bar 31 in the forward position of the control bar 31.

A latch supporting plate 42 is provided and is secured to the bottom face of the shelf 17 in any desired manner, such as by screws 43, and is provided with a latch arm 44 pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin 45. The latch arm 44 can have a resilient motion-limiting tongue 44a extending forwardly and has an arcuate section 46 for supporting the control bar in one position and may have a downward extension 47. The extension 47 can serve for manual release of the latch arm 44 and can also serve as a cam face for aiding in guiding the control bar 31 to support position and actuating the latch arm 44 to permit the proper positioning for supporting the control bar 31.

The latch supporting plate 42 has a tube 48 secured thereto to which a tension spring 49 may be connected at one end, the other end of the tension spring 49 being connected to the latch arm 44 for normally urging the latch arm 44 forwardly. The tube 48 can extend forwardly to or beyond the front margin of the shelf 17 and be supported by side lugs 50 extending therefrom and through which screws 51 are inserted.

A latch arm release rod 52 can be provided, supported in the tube 48 and having its rear end for engagement with the latch arm 44 for moving the same to releasing position. The rod 52, slidably carried in the tube 48, preferably has an enlarged head 53 at the front end thereof for ease of manual actuation.

The mode of use will now be pointed out.

Assuming first that a towel is to be mounted in position on the holder, the lever 28 is moved to a position to release the ends 21 and 22 of the supporting bars 11 and 12 which swing downwardly together about the pivotal support provided by the engagement of the con nector 15 in the holding plate 16 to the extent required for mounting the towel band 10 thereon. The towel band 10 is positioned with each of the supporting bars 11 and 12 in engagement with separated portions of the interior thereof and with the central portion 34 of the bar 31 in engagement with the upper exterior of the towel band 10.

The supporting bars 11 and 12 are then moved to their upper position and the holding and release lever 28 is moved to its position in supporting engagement with the ends 21 and 22.

The control bar 31 is then positioned in accordance with the desired disposition of the towel band 10. If the towel band 10 is to be in pendant relation with respect to the supporting bars 11 and 12 for use, the control bar 31 is swung forwardly so that one of the side portions 32 is in engagement in the spring clip 38. The towel band 10 can then be in extended pendant position, supported by the bars 11 and 12, and with the bar portion 34 in an upper front position out of engagement with the towel band 10. The towel band 10 can then be freely moved to bring any desired position thereof accessible at the front for use.

If now, it is desired to move the towel band 10 to a position for storage, the control bar 31 is manually released from its engagement with the spring clip 38 and is moved upwardly past the extended portions 47 of the latch arm 44 and into the arcuate portion 46 so that the towel band 10 is supported in folded horizontal stored position. The towel band 10 will be retained in this position until released.

If now, it is desired to release the towel band 10 from its out of use or stored position, the rod 52 can be moved rearwardly and by its engagement with the latch arm 44 will move the latch arm 44 to a position such that the towel control bar 31 will swing downwardly by its weight and can then be moved forwardly to a position where it will be engaged and held by the spring clip 38 with the towel band 10 in free pendant position as previously explained.

It will be noted that the towel band 10 can be readily positioned as desired for storage or for use and that it will ordinarily remain in the position at which it is placed.

At the same time the towel band 10 can be quickly and easily removed for washing and for replacement by a clean towel band 10, when desired.

I claim:

1. A support for a towel band comprising a pair of spaced horizontal towel supporting bars for engagement with the interior of an endless towel band, mounting members for said bars at the ends thereof for application of a towel hand between said ends, and a towel position control bar having side portions pivotally mounted at their ends in rearwardly spaced relation to said supporting bars, said control bar having a central portion for engagement with the exterior of said towel band, said central portion being swingable forwardly to a position between and offset with respect to said supporting bars and swingable rearwardly to a position remotely spaced from said supporting bars.

2. A support for a towel band comprising a pair of spaced horizontal towel supporting bars for engagement with the interior of an endless towel band, mounting members for said bars at the ends thereof for application of a towel band between said ends, a towel position control bar having side portions pivotally mounted at their ends in rearwardly spaced relation to said supporting bars, said control bar having a central portion for engagement with the exterior of said towel band, said central portion being swingable forwardly to a position between and offset with respect to said supporting bars and swingable rearwardly to a position remotely spaced from said supporting bars, and members for holding said control bar in its forward and rearward positions.

3. A support for a towel band comprising a pair of spaced horizontal towel supporting bars for engagement with the interior of an endless towel band, a pivotal mounting for said bars at one pair of ends thereof, a releasable mounting for said pair of bars at the other pair of ends thereof, a towel position control bar having side portions pivotally mounted at their ends in rearwardly spaced relation to said supporting bars, said control bar having a central portion for engagement with the exterior of said towel band, said central portion being swingable forwardly to a position between and offset with respect to said supporting bars and out of engagement with said towel band and being swingable rearwardly to a position remotely spaced from said supporting bars and in engagement with said towel band, and releasable members for holding said control bar in its forward and rearward positions.

4. A support for a towel band in free vertically pendant position or horizontally held in folded and stored position comprising spaced parallel horizontal towel supporting bars for engagement with interior portions of an endless towel band, mounting members for the ends of said bars for moving said bars for the application of a towel band over the ends of said bars, a towel position control bar having spaced side portions pivotally mounted rearwardly of said supporting bars, said control bar having a central portion for engagement with the exterior of the towel band, said central portion being swingable forwardly to a location offset with respect to said supporting bars and out of engagement with the towel band and being swingable rearwardly to a position in remote relation to said supporting bars and retaining the towel band in folded and stored position, and holding members for retaining said control bar in said forward and rearward positions.

5. A support for a towel band in free vertically pendant position or horizontally held in folded and stored position comprising spaced parallel horizontal towel supporting bars for engagement with interior portions of an endless towel band, mounting members for the ends of said bars for moving said bars for the application of a towel band between the ends of said bars, a towel position control bar of substantially U-shape having spaced side portions pivotally mounted rearwardly of said supporting bars, said control bar having a central portion for engagement with the exterior of the towel band, said central portion being swingable forwardly to a location offset with respect to said supporting bars and out of engagement with the towel band and being swingable rearwardly to a position in remote relation to said supporting bars and retaining the towel band in folded and stored position, a holding member for retaining said control bar in its rearward position, and a manually operable member for releasing said holding member.

6. A support for a towel band in free vertically pendant position or horizontally held in folded and stored position comprising spaced parallel horizontal towel supporting bars for engagement with interior portions of an endless towel band, a pivotal mounting for one pair of ends of said bars, a releasable mounting for the other pair of ends of said bars for the application of a towel band between the ends of said bars, a towel position control bar of substantially Ushape having spaced side portions pivotally mounted rearwardly of said supporting bars, said control bar having a central portion for engagement with the exterior of the towel band, said central portion being swingable forwardly to a location offset with respect to said supporting bars and out of engagement with the towel band and being swingable rearwardly to a position in remote relation to said supporting bars and retaining the towel band in folded and stored position, a holding member for retaining said towel position control bar in its forward position, a releasable member for holding said control bar in its rearward position, and a manually operable member for releasing said releasable member.

7. A support for a towel band in free vertically pendant position or horizontally held in folded and stored position comprising spaced parallel horizontal towel supporting bars for engagement with interior portions of an endless towel band, a pivotal mounting for one pair of ends of said bars, a releasable mounting for the other pair of ends of said bars for the application of a towel band between the ends of said bars, a towel position control bar of substantially U-shape having spaced parallel side portions pivotally mounted rearwardly of said supporting bars, said control bar having a central portion for engagement with the exterior of the towel band, said central portion being oifset with respect to the plane of said side portions, said central portion being swingable forwardly to a location offset with respect to said supporting bars and out of engagement with the towel band and being swingable rearwardly to a position in remote relation to said supporting bars and retaining the towel band in folded and stored position, a resilient holding member for retaining said towel position control bar in its forward position, a releasable resiliently urged member for holding said control bar in its rearward position, and a manually operable member for releasing said releasable member.

Stevens July 12, 1887 Haines July 22, 1958 

